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Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has said that the atmosphere in the first-team dressing room was "fine" under Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese coach was sacked earlier this month with his side sitting just a point above the relegation zone. Following his dismissal, the club's technical director Michael Emenalo claimed that a "palpable discord" between the manager and his players had emerged, which forced the club hierarchy's hand.
However, Mikel, who played his 350th game for Chelsea in the 2-2 draw with Watford and was solid in a holding midfield role in the 0-0 draw at Manchester United, said the mood in the dressing room was good under the former boss.
Vaishali discusses Chelsea's January transfer window NEW “I think the atmosphere was fine, always fine but we just weren’t getting the results, I don’t know what it was," said Mikel.
"Jose is a fantastic manager and he will always be a fantastic guy. Sometimes football is a cruel game, you have to move on.
"He’s come back second time, won the club another trophy. Now the change has been made, we have to move on.”
Mikel also refused to give up on Chelsea finishing in the top four and securing Champions League football for next season, despite the Blues 15 points behind Tottenham.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratingsShow all 24 1 /24Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings De Gea - 7 out of 10 Was in fine form and made several superb saves to deny Terry in the first half and then Pedro and Azpilicueta in the second.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Darmian - 6 out of 10 Aside from one mistake in the build-up to Matic's chance in the second half, the full-back defended well and showed great understanding with Martial to attack Chelsea's defence down his flank.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Smalling - 7 out of 10 Enjoyed a relatively quiet evening as he was never really tested by Hazard, although he received a booking for bringing down the Belgian in one instance. Combined well with Blind to force Chelsea to attack down the wings.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Blind - 6 out of 10 Enjoyed a great game as he worked well with Smalling to protect De Gea while using his accuracy to push the ball forwards in attack.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Young - 7 out of 10 Playing at right-back, Young impressed - using his pace to give Azpilicueta problems while tracking back and defending when needed.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Schneiderlin - 6 out of 10 Dominated the play in midfield and was nearly rewarded when he saw his effort on goal go just wide. Despite getting a yellow card his challenge on Willian, Van Gaal will be pleased with his work rate.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Schweinsteiger - 6 out of 10 Enjoyed a good outing after being brought back into the starting line-up, working well with Schneiderlin to contain the likes of Oscar.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Mata - 7 out of 10 The Spaniard's pace and creativity caused Azpilicueta problems all evening and he should have gotten on the score sheet early on but saw his effort hit the bar.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Herrera - 6 out of 10 Was another United player who could have scored, but saw his close-range effort kept out by Courtois. Still, he worked hard in attack and defence.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Martial - 7 out of 10 The forward looked invigorated and determined and he constantly proved a menace for Ivanovic with his pace – seeing his effort hit the post. A superb reaction from the France international following some disappointing performances in recent months.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Rooney - 6 out of 10 After being dropped against Stoke, the United captain returned to the starting XI to show why he remains a key player for the club. He created several chances, carried out his defensive duties and showed leadership skills in a much-improved performance. Should have been sent off for a rash challenge on Oscar late on.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Courtois - 7 out of 10 Was solid when called into action - making a sublime close-range save to deny Herrera in the second half - although he nearly committed a huge error when he cleared the ball straight to Mata in the first period.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Ivanovic - 4 out of 10 Endured a torrid time against Martial, as he struggled to deal with the pace of the Frenchman, which allowed United to create their best chances from the right flank.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Zouma - 7 out of 10 Defended well alongside Terry, using his pace and strength to make several key clearances and getting involved in Chelsea's attacks during set pieces.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Terry - 7 out of 10 Had Chelsea's best chance to open the scoring with a superb header, which was saved by De Gea, while also enjoying a good showing at the back.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Azpilicueta - 5 out of 10 Struggled to stop Young and Mata from using the left flank to send crosses into the box time and time again. Later, had a superb chance to score but miss-timed his shot, allowing De Gea to make his save.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Matic - 5 out of 10 Defended well and tried to contribute to Chelsea's play going forwards. However, he let his side down when he blazed Chelsea's best chance high when through on goal in the second half.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Mikel - 6 out of 10 Proved a good partner for Matic in front of Chelsea’s defence, although he received a yellow card for a foul on Martial. The pair could have controlled proceedings in midfield better, though.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Pedro - 6 out of 10 Used his pace and accuracy to create some good chances, including one that Matic should have converted, and also came close to scoring but was denied by De Gea. Struggled, though, to deal with Young and Mata's link-up play.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Oscar - 5 out of 10 Proved ineffective in creating clear goal-scoring chances for Chelsea, and was also guilty for giving away the ball several times. Not the best of performances from the Brazilian.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Willian - 5 out of 10 Was one of Chelsea's biggest threats going forwards, but he still had a limited impact as United defended in numbers against him. He did, however, disappoint with some poor free-kicks and was lucky to not give away a penalty for his handball in the area. Hauled off for Ramires with 20 minutes to go.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Hazard - 5 out of 10 Started the game up front in the lone striker role, but failed to have any real impact. Kept dropping deep to try and collect the ball, but it left Chelsea with no focal point. Improved in the second half, setting up Pedro, but ultimately a disappointing showing from the Belgian.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Best off the bench: Ramires - 6 out of 10 Added an extra shield to Chelsea’s defence after being substituted on for Willian.
"Top four? I don't think it's gone," he added.
"We've got lots of games to catch up and if we keep going in this direction and keeping clean sheets, we will definitely score goals. We've had three games now without losing so are making the right steps."
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